AJGP
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ALL ISSUES SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a Colleague
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Taylor, D. H.
Right arrow Articles by Blazer, D. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Taylor, D. H., Jr.
Right arrow Articles by Blazer, D. G.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 11:75-82, February 2003
© 2003 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry

Regular Article

Is the APOE {epsilon}4 Genotype Associated With Higher Hospital Costs Among Elderly Patients?

Donald H. Taylor Jr., Ph.D., M.P.A., Gerda Fillenbaum, Ph.D., Bruce Burchett, Ph.D., and Dan G. Blazer, M.D., Ph.D.

Received September 14, 2001; revised November 30, 2001, January 18, 2002; accepted January 22, 2002. From the Department of Public Policy Studies, Center for Health Policy, Law and Management, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (DHT), the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center (GF,BB,DGB). Address correspondence to Dr. Taylor, 122 Old Chemistry Bldg., Duke University, Durham, NC 27708. e-mail: dtaylor{at}hpolicy.duke.edu

OBJECTIVE: The apolipoprotein {epsilon}4 (APOE {epsilon}4) genotype is associated with a number of adverse health outcomes. The authors assessed whether the {epsilon}4 genotype was associated with higher hospital costs on the basis of data from 1,999 white or black respondents to the Duke Established Population for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly who consented to be genotyped in 1992–1993. METHODS: They measured hospital costs, using the amount paid by Medicare for hospitalizations from 1992 to 1997. RESULTS: Persons with the {epsilon}4 genotype did not have higher costs than those who were {epsilon}4-negative. The highest costs were observed for those who had missing {epsilon}4 genotype. CONCLUSION: The {epsilon}4 genotype is not a significant predictor of hospital costs, and so would not be a good risk adjustor for purposes such as setting reimbursement rates for Medicare risk plans.

Key Words: Economics • Genetics • Alzheimer's Disease






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ALL ISSUES SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2003 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry